Feed wheel



Aug. 16, 1932.

A. J. GURNEY 1,871,516

FEED WHEEL v Filed Nov. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I N I i l l 1 g L B gmc'nfoz A.J Gurney A. J. GURNEY Aug. 16, 1932.

FEED WHEEL Filed Nov. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented Aug. 16, 1932 iii ALBERT J. GUBNEY, OF CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNORTO THE AMERICAN MINE DOOR COM- PANY, OF CANTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO FEED WHEEL Application filed November 16, 1929. Serial No. 407,674.

The invention relates to a feed wheel for use in connection with a blower especially designed for blowing pulverized material; the invention being particularly adapted for application to a rock cluster for use in dusting mines and the like as disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 233,407, filed November 15, 1927.

The object of the improvement is to provide a feed wheel in the line between a blower and a nozzle or the like, the device being arranged to receive the rock dust or other pulverized material from a hopper and convey it uniformly into the air blast, at the same time .15 preventing the blast of air from passing backward into the pulverized material in the hopper. V

The above and other objects may be at tained by providing in combination with a hopper having an air blast pipe located therethrough, and a conveyor therein, a feed wheel comprising a plurality of radial spokes or blades rotatably mounted within a housing communicating at its lower portion with the 5 hopper, and preferably provided with a peripheral rim, the air blast passing through the upper portion of the housing, whereby pulverized material is conveyed from the hopper into the lower portion of the housing, the so radial spokes or blades carrying the material upward into the air blast and acting themselves, together with the peripheral rim, to prevent the air blast passing into the hopper.

An embodiment of the invention is illus- Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

The invention is illustrated as applied to a rock duster designed to be moved through mine tunnels and the like, as upon a railroad track for the purpose of blowing rock dust onto the walls and floors of the tunnels tomix shown), the hopper being filled with powdered limestone or the like and provided with agitating and conveying mechanism for feeding the rock dust to the feed wheel which conveys the same to an air line provided with a blower (not shown), by means of which the rock dust is blown through a nozzie or the like and distributed over the walls and floors of the mine tunnels.

The hopper caris provided with the downwardly andinwardly inclined walls 11 and for the purpose of carrying the powdered rock dust forward through the bottom of the hopper and feeding it to the improved feed wheel to be hereinafter described, apair of conveyer screws 12 may be located in parallel relation in the bottom of the hopper.

In order toprevent caking or packing of the rock dust in the bottom of the hopper, as well as to assist the conveyer screws in feeding the dust forward, an agitating device may be provided. This agitator may comprise the shaft 13' located slightly above the conveyer screws and parallel with and equally spaced therefrom.

Inclined pins or fingers 14 maybe carried by. the agitator shaft for continually agitating the rock dust and the shaft is preferably continuously rotated in the opposite direction to that of the conveyer screws.

A blower of any suitable and well known construction may be carried upon the hopper car and communicates with the blower pipe 15 leading'through the end wall 16 of the hopper and communicating with the upper portion of the closed valve housing 17 which is of substantially circular construction and is carried upon the end wall 16. p

v A pipe 18 communicates with the housing 17 in alinement with the blower pipe 15, and may .have a nozzle or the like attached thereto for spraying the rock dust An opening 19 is formed in the housingand provided with a bearing 20 to support the adjacent end of each conveyer shaft 12 and provide acomper and the housing, being extended entire y through the housing and received in another bearin'g'2f2 upon theouter 'side't hereof.

The improved feed wheel to which the invention pertains is mounted upon the agitator shaft, within the housing 17., andcomprises a plurality of radial spokes or blades 23, preferably six as shown in the drawing, and may include the peripheral rim 25 connected to the end portionsoi-the-spokes or blades.

' As best shown in Fig. 4, it will be seen that as each of the V pockets 24,1ormed betweenadja'cent spoke's or blades registers with'the blower pipe,'twooi f the pockets reg ister with the conveyers "so thatasthe uppermost pocket is "being :en pti'ed by the blower, two pocket'slare' being filled'bythe conveyers'.

it will be evidentthatthe a'clj' a'cent spokes 0r blade's'QS forming each pocket, together with'tlie o'rresp'ondingportion oftherim 25, provide means preventing the 'air blast from passing ailownw'ard through 'theva'lve and back into the conveyer.

I A uniform aniount'of rock dust wiil be delive'red to the blower as each poeket moves into place,"t'hus providing for auniforni and substantially contm'uous fblast o fro'ck dust through the blower'pipeandnozzle.

Forthe purpose of taking upthe housing to compensate for wear therein, or the end plate :26, shims may be provided between the, hopper 1-7 and the endplatefitithereo'f.

It should be 'untl'erstood' that the housing in which the feecl wheel is located may be positioned at'eitlier the side or end of the material upward within the housing from the conveyer to the blower pipe, and for preventing air from the blower pipe from entering the conveyer. I

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto. subscribed my name.

' ALBERT J. GURNEY.

hopper "desired, and wherethis housing is -referred "to in the'l'aims as located "at the sidev ot the hopper it is "intended "to'inti'on only with tl'reiconveyer,"ai'feed wheel-entirely'enclosedwithintheihousin' "comprising 'a plurality pt radial" spokes, or "carrying 

